Stage names:
| Yamamoto Kyôshirô I |  |
| Yamamoto Kôshirô | |
| Yamamoto Hachiroemon | |
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry name: Kajû (?)
Existence: 1700 ~ 20th day of the 10th lunar month of 1764
Connection:
Adoptive father: Yamamoto Hikogorô
Son: Yamamoto Iwanojô
Career:
1700: born in Ôsaka. He get married with the daughter of Yamamoto Hikogorô, originally a kyôgen actor who became a Kabuki actor. He is adopted by his father-in-law and receives the name of Yamamoto Hachiroemon. Later on, he takes the name of Yamamoto Kôshirô.
11th lunar month of 1724: Kôshirô performs in Kyôto as a jitsuaku in the kaomise drama "Ôjigawa Kogane no Mizuguruma".
11th lunar month of 1725: he becomes zamoto in Ôsaka and takes the name of Yamamoto Kyôshirô I, producing at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Hôraisan Imose no Matsu", which celebrates the shûmei of Nakamura Shirogorô II and Yamashita Kamenojô II.
11th lunar month of 1727: Kyôshirô produces at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Imosegami Aioi no Futabayama".
9th lunar month of 1728: last production as zamoto; Kyôshirô produces at the Naka no Shibai the drama "Aioi Makura Kanae Otoko".
1st lunar month of 1729: Kyôshirô and his father Yamamoto Hikogorô go together to Edo; they play at the Moritaza in the drama "Higashiyama Chôseiden".
11th lunar month of 1729: Kyôshirô plays at the Moritaza the role of Kamei Rokurô in the kaomise drama "Yahagi no Chôja Kogane no Ishizue".
Fall 1730: Kyôshirô goes back to Ôsaka.
11th lunar month of 1730: Kyôshirô plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of Nakatsugawa Jôsuke in the kaomise drama "Matsukane Fukki no Ishizue".
Fall 1739: Kyôshirô goes to Edo.
11th lunar month of 1739: Kyôshirô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Sano Gentôta in the kaomise drama "Miyakozome Kaoru Hachinoki"; his stage partners are Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Ichikawa Danzô I, Nakamura Shichisaburô II, Segawa Kikujirô I and Nakamura Sukegorô I.
Fall 1740: Kyôshirô goes back to Ôsaka.
11th lunar month of 1740: Kyôshirô plays at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Tachibana Chikaranosuke in the kaomise drama "Yaguruma Yakata no Fuji"; his stage partners are Segawa Kikunojô I, Nakamura Shingorô I, Nakayama Shinkurô I, Sanogawa Mangiku, Onoe Kikugorô I, Nakamura Sôjûrô and Arashi Shichigorô I.
1st lunar month of 1741: Kyôshirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
11th lunar month of 1741: Kyôshirô plays at the Ônishi no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Bankoku Taiheiki", which welcomes in Ôsaka the Edo actors Ichikawa Ebizô II and Ichikawa Danjûrô III. It includes the "Uirô Uri" scene and is produced by Sadoshima Chôgorô I.
12th lunar month of 1741: Kyôshirô plays in the same theater the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the drama "Yamato Ikioi Soga"; his stage partners are Ichikawa Ebizô II (Soga Gorô Tokimune, Soga Jûrô Sukenari) and Onoe Kikugorô I (the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shôshô).
1st lunar month of 1742: Kyôshirô plays in the same theater the role of Hayashi Dennai in the drama "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura" [casting]. The performance is a triumphant success and is extended up to the beginning of 7th lunar month of 1742.
Fall 1746: Kyôshirô goes to Edo.
11th lunar month of 1746: Kyôshirô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Oniô Shôji Saemon in the kaomise drama "Aioi Izu Nikki".
3rd lunar month of 1747: the play "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" is performed for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza; Kyôshirô plays the role of Shiratayû [casting].
11th lunar month of 1747: Kyôshirô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Hasebe Chôbei in the kaomise drama "Shusse Momijigari".
11th lunar month of 1748: Kyôshirô moves to the Moritaza, becomes zagashira and plays in the kaomise drama "Fuyu Botan Yoshino Dairi".
2nd lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Moritaza; Kyôshirô plays the role of Ôboshi Yuranosuke.
11th lunar month of 1749: Kyôshirô plays at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Bijo Kurabe Kiso no Kakehashi", which celebrates the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô II.
4th lunar month of 1750: the play "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" is produced at the Moritaza for the first time; Kyôshirô plays the role of Takebe Genzô [casting].
Fall 1751: Kyôshirô goes to Kyôto.
11th lunar month of 1751: Kyôshirô plays in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Kaeribana Shinohara Gunki".
Fall 1752: Kyôshirô goes back to Ôsaka.
11th lunar month of 1752: Kyôshirô plays at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Wakanoura Ôkura in the kaomise drama "Kyô Miyage Matsuri Zoroe"; his stage partners are Wakayama Shinkurô, Wakayama Bunshichi, Ôtani Hirohachi I, Iwata Somematsu I, Matsushima Kiyosaki, Ichimura Sanohachi, Kirishima Gizaemon, Kiriyama Monji I, Matsushima Moheiji, Takenaka Heikichi, Murayama Heijûrô V and Nakamura Shirogorô III.
1st lunar month of 1756: Kyôshirô is the kanjiku for tachiyaku actors in the Ôsaka hyôbanki.
11th lunar month of 1758: Kyôshirô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sakata Kintoki in the kaomise drama "Shitennô Chikara Kurabe"; his stage partners are Ichikawa Danzô III, Yamashita Matatarô I, Ichinokawa Hikoshirô II, Yoshizawa Sakinosuke II, Nakamura Kumetarô I and the zamoto Arashi Kichisaburô I.
1st lunar month of 1759: Kyôshirô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, "Kurokichi Shitennô" section ("the big four with the excellent character written in black"), is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). The 3 others actors, who belong to this "big four" section, are Ichikawa Danzô III, Yamashita Matatarô I and Nakayama Shinkurô I.
11th lunar month of 1760: Kyôshirô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Miura no Ôsuke in the kaomise drama "Miura no Ôsuke Toshitoku Môde", which is produced by Anegawa Shinshirô II.
6th lunar month of 1761: Kyôshirô plays in the same theater the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; the roles of Danshichi Kurobei and Issun Tokubei are played by Fujikawa Heikurô and Fujikawa Hachizô I. The former actor suddenly falls ill and has to replaced by the latter.
Fall 1761: Kyôshirô moves to Kyôto.
11th lunar month of 1761: Kyôshirô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Hasebe Hyôgonoshin in the kaomise drama "Hitomaru Banzei no Utena", which is produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I.
11th lunar month of 1762: Kyôshirô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Tenka Taihei Kogane no Kurairi", which is produced by Onoe Montarô and Sawamura Kunitarô I.
3rd lunar month of 1763: Kyôshirô plays in the same theater the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Amakawaya Gihei in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
11th lunar month of 1763: Kyôshirô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Shôchikubai Ôshimadai".
1st lunar month of 1764: Kyôshirô is the kanjiku for tachiyaku actors in the Kyôto hyôbanki.
Fall 1764: Kyôshirô goes to Edo but he suddenly falls ill and dies the 20th of the 10th lunar month. His tombstone is located in the precincts of the Jôshinji temple in Edo in the district of Fukagawa.
Comments:
Yamamoto Kyôshirô I was a leading Ôsaka actor, who achieved fame for himself from the end of the Kyôhô era to the Hôreki era not only in Kamigata but also in Edo where he made several successful stays. He was able to play a wide range of male roles as a tachiyaku, jitsuaku, oyajigata (in his latter years) or aragotoshi. Budôgoto roles in jidaimono dramas were his forte. His most notable performance was Ôboshi Yuranosuke in "Kanadehon Chûshingura". He perfectly delivered his lines with great vocal projection.
Question:
Was there any Yamamoto Kyôshirô II? The question is still open. In "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten", Yamamoto Kyôshirô II was recorded as a Kamigata actor, who settled in Edo in Fall 1795 and performed at the Miyakoza from the 11th lunar month of 1795 to the 7th lunar month of 1797. We've checked in the 1797 Edo hyôbanki and we've found only an actor named Kataoka Kyôshirô, a disciple of Kataoka Nizaemon VII.
Yamamoto Kyôshirô I playing in the kaomise drama "Bankoku Taiheiki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1741 at the Ônishi no Shibai